Northwest Voices | Letters to the Editor

Welcome to The Seattle Times' online letters to the editor, a sampling of readers' opinions. Join the conversation by commenting on these letters or send your own letter of up to 200 words letters@seattletimes.com.

Companies borrow for nothing, stash the cash

I can think of no reason why a company would borrow money at ultralow interest rates and just stockpile the cash as reported at the beginning of Graham Bawley’s article [“Companies stash cash with cheap loans, but won’t hire,” page one, Oct 4].

As he subsequently wrote, companies are using the money to modernize, acquire other companies or buy back their own stock. These are all good reasons. The fact that cheap money has not resulted in more job creation illustrates another example that the present government just doesn’t get it. When businesses have the assurance that we will remain competitive in the global economy, not handicapped by tax and regulation policies, hiring will occur.

— Bob Dorse, Seattle

Now’s the time to tax carbon emissions

Since large corporations are waiting for consumer demand to improve before investing $1.6 billion cash they currently hold now would be a good time to enact a carbon fee and dividend act. This would reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, create new jobs and reduce our dependence on coal and oil.

Here’s how it works:

A direct fee is placed on carbon-based fuels. The fee is paid by producers and importers. That fee increases steadily each year so that within a decade, clean energy will be cheaper than fossil fuels.

All of the revenue is distributed to the public as an equally shared dividend. Most households will receive more than their increased cost of energy.

Because it is predictable, the steadily rising carbon price will unleash private investment, creating a new, clean-energy economy creating a privately funded stimulus for new jobs.